


(Un)emotional

by Momma_Time



Series: Soft Nines [7]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, I'll fix things in a bit, Prompt Fill, Protective Connor, eventually, everyone is, gavin's an ass, hurt comfort, nines is done with gavins shit, soft nines, yeah I didn't really edit this either bc I was excited to get this out whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-20 11:47:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16136594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Momma_Time/pseuds/Momma_Time
Summary: Gavin is an ass, Nines has enough, Connor tries to fix things.





	1. Outburst

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Emotional Soft RK900 vs Gavin](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/421055) by controlleddestiny. 



> The relationship between Connor and Nines is totally up to you to decide. Like the rest of the Soft Nines series, I've kept that bit vague-ish.
> 
> This is a prompt fill for controlleddestiny on Tumblr. They wanted a soft Nines where he tries to act unaffected by everything but eventually has enough and bursts into tears because Gavin has been bothering him so much. Connor is protective and tries to fix things. Gavin is then forced to clean up after himself...awkwardly.
> 
> Heads up that there's a crap ton of language in this and some mild violence on Connor's part against Gavin, but like, I hope y'all'll be okay.
> 
> This'll be done in two parts, and while I'm including it in the Soft Nines series, this is a whole separate thing from the other fics where Gavin isn't a total ass.

"For fuck's sake, don't lick that shit!"  
  
Nines glanced over his shoulder at Gavin, his partner in the case, and met his gaze while purposefully taking another lick of the evidence to "joke" with him.  
  
"You little shit."  
  
"Am I a little shit or a piece of shit? Or can I be both? You change your mind on that frequently."  
  
Gavin huffed and stormed to the other side of the store to check other marked evidence. "I can't believe Fowler gave me a fuckin' garbage can and that he's..."  
  
Nines tuned him out and went back to work. He didn't care about human sensibilities when he was working. Usually. If they couldn't handle his or Connor's methods in analyzing evidence, then they could look away. He had a job to do.  
  
Never mind that it stung when someone was that rude about it.  
  
Connor and Hank started bonding a little from day two of meeting, and yet here he was, several weeks in, and Gavin still hated his guts. He wasn't much nicer to Connor, but fucking hell, he wished it would get better already.  
  
He'd brought the guy fancy coffee one morning, held doors open for him, tried to greet him in the mornings with a smile—he was terrible at it, but he was trying his best. Instead, it just creeped the guy out. Nines didn't know what else to do to make at least their working relationship better.  
  
He clenched his jaw in frustration and bowed his head while he tried to control himself. No one was supposed to know that he was this affected by it; he'd never hear the end of it if they found out. Crybaby or something worse. Ugh, he couldn't handle that either.  
  
He hated being deviant. Everything under the sun made him emotional, and he couldn't express them appropriately or control them for more than a few minutes; it was long enough to find a room to himself to calm down. Fucking car commercials set him off since he deviated.  
  
Keep your eyes closed, relax, focus on the case and not the situation between you and Gavin. Nines repeated that to himself while he worked on what was essentially auto-pilot. That was the only thing holding him together until they made it back to the precinct.  
  
When they'd finished there, Nines got a headstart on the paperwork part of it on the drive back. Gavin kept trying to harass him about eating the evidence and "other weird android kinky shit," so Nines turned off his hearing again so he could focus on his work. If he couldn't hear Gavin, he wouldn't have anything to be emotional about.  
  
Nines turned his auditory processors back on when they got back, face impassive as he got out and faced Gavin. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it with a click. No, saying something will make it worse at this point, for him and the situation.  
  
"What were you going to say?"  
  
"Nothing, sir." Nines turned away, rolling his eyes in a show of annoyance, and strode back into the building. He didn't wait to hold the door open for Gavin, didn't say a word to anyone on his way back to his desk to finish his work. He couldn't let himself be distracted. Don't be distracted. Relax. Ignore Gavin.  
  
"What the fuck, asshat? You just left me."  
  
How in the hell do you ignore someone when they demand so much attention from the entire office? You don't. It's impossible, even for the most advanced android on the planet.  
  
Nines turned his gaze up to Gavin, expression flat but face warming with an influx of thirium from irritation and embarrassment. "You didn't seem to want me in your presence, here, there, or at the crime scene, so I removed myself from the situation like a mature adult. If you can't act like one, then find another job where you can act as childish as you'd like."  
  
There was pin-drop silence. Every officer, clerk, and intern had stopped what they were doing when they heard the usually quiet, stoic android smart off to Gavin while his voice raised with every word. Nines ignored the deafening silence, eyes never leaving Gavin's. He was pissed, frustrated, hurt, and so unbelievably lost and unprepared for something like this and why couldn't CyberLife have programmed him with the knowledge of how to handle a situation like this?  
  
"Did you really just raise your voice at me?" Even Gavin seemed stunned, for all of two seconds before he was scowling.  
  
In his peripherals, Nines noticed Hank grabbing Connor's arm to stop him from jumping into the brewing argument. For once, Nines was grateful. He had reached his breaking point and was getting so tired of this. He shouldn't hate coming to work, or hate doing his job when it's what he was made for and truly _enjoyed_. Here he was, wishing he could punch his partner in the mouth and burst into tears at the same time without anyone remembering that it happened to save him from the embarrassment.  
  
"You can't speak to me without yelling and using expletives, so I may as well meet you where you are detective, since you are incapable of civil interaction like a normal human or android." Don't punch him. Don't cry. Don't run away. Don't lose your expressionless appearance.  
  
"Well maybe if you entitled machines didn't act like you owned the place, then maybe I wouldn't have to bring you down a notch—"  
  
Nines stood, knocking the chair over and jaw clenched as he slammed his hands down on the desk. "What the _fuck_ did I ever do to you!? I have tried to approach you from day one with respect since you were my superior in this job and had done your time here to have earned it. I have tried to be accommodating to your petty whims and tried everything I could to not provoke your fucking child-sized temper because every time you even _look at me_ , you throw a damn tantrum. Grow the fuck up and find another partner or transfer out of this department because someone with your temperament and shitty attitude doesn't belong within _a thousand feet_ of traumatized victims and their families since you obviously have even _less_ of a heart than we fucking "machines!" Am I fucking loud enough and emotional enough for you yet or am I still too mechanical for you to acknowledge me as a person who is just as capable of compassion and anger and hurt as the next guy?!"  
  
So much for not crying. His vision was getting fuzzy again as it did at least twice just this week when he was at home with Connor. Fuck. Nines decided to make this shit count then. What else did he have to lose? Gavin's lips were parted, gaping at Nines. He didn't even finish inhaling to comment before Nines interrupted him.  
  
"Oh, wait. I forgot. The next guy includes every fucking human being on this shitty planet except your sorry ass who thinks his shit doesn't stink and that he can do whatever the fuck he wants because "oh that's just Gavin for you." That's unacceptable, detective." Nines was breathing heavily now, systems trying to hurriedly cool him down before the stress of his outburst caused a permanent meltdown. He could see again, but dammit at what cost? Nines could feel warmth running down his cheeks to his chin. "I'd say go to hell, but I doubt the devil himself would want your sorry ass around. Go fuck yourself with a shovel, if it can even _stand_ your very existence."  
  
He turned away sharply with a growl and stormed off, leaving the central office behind to find a utility closet or something to hide in for a bit until he got himself under control. Fuck Gavin. Fuck this. Fuck his job. Fuck him. Why couldn't he get anything right with humans? Was he defective or had he honestly done something wrong to the man and everyone else in this department to warrant this treatment?  
  
Silence remained after Nines left them in a flurry of anger and...whatever else he was feeling. Most of the office didn't know he could do that. They'd seen him smile faintly at something Connor or Hank said, maybe even Sally from the front desk, but nothing else. And yet they knew better than to bad mouth him or any of the other androids, whether they liked having them around or not.  
  
Despite this, everyone turned their gaze to Gavin to judge his reaction. The man was still standing there flabbergasted at the dressing down he was given. _Though_ , they thought, _he had that coming, and it was about time someone shouted at him like that...that wasn't Fowler or Hank_. A few even scowled at him.  
  
But no one looked as pissed as Connor, who finally jerked his arm away from Hank's grip to stalk forward. He grabbed Gavin's jacket and bodily dragged him from the room; no one dared get in his way. Connor wasn't usually this angry, unable to be provoked as quickly as others, and they'd seen him upset, but this was new.  
  
"Bet Gavin's coming back with at least three broken bones," someone muttered.  
  
The second Connor had Gavin alone out back, he slammed the man against the door. It dazed Gavin when he bounced off of it, and he had to blink a few times to get his bearings. By that point, Connor had him by the collar and pinned against the wall. "What the fuck Gavin? Nines has tried everything these last few weeks, and I haven't intervened with more force sooner because he asked me not to lay a hand on you. _Thank your fucking lucky stars_ he's more forgiving than I. Do you have any idea how many times I've had to hold him while he cried because of you and your shitty ass behavior?"  
  
Gavin struggled against Connor's hold, but it was like trying to push away a boulder. "H-he's always seemed so unemotional...I didn't think it mattered."  
  
Wrong thing to say.  
  
"Didn't think it mattered? Just because he appears calm and collected does not mean he's unfeeling, you asshat. Even if he hadn't deviated, he shouldn't be treated like that. _No one should._ " Connor pulled Gavin away from the door a hair, only to slam him against it once more.  
  
"Now," he started in a murmur. The snarl on his face was terrifying. "You're going to apologize to him, and then you're going to start treating him like a person, with respect. Apologize today or tomorrow, but it had better be done by the time we're ready to head home tomorrow afternoon. Have I made myself clear?"  
  
"Holy shit. Fine! Fine, I'll tell him I'm sorry."  
  
"And mean it or so help me—"  
  
"I _will_! Shit, man, let me go."  
  
Connor shoved him to the ground and went back inside, slamming the door behind him. He needed to check on Nines.


	2. An (Un)fortunate Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Gavin to try and fix things without screwing shit up.  
> Too bad he's bad at it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S/O to cyberlifesconnorisnowready on Tumblr for letting me soundboard with them. Y'all can thank them for this goofy conclusion.

Gavin waited an hour before he went looking for Nines. He didn't know where he went and hadn't seen him _or_ Connor come back. It was frustrating the hell out of him, and Hank's glaring was making him almost as nervous as Connor accosting him earlier had.  
  
Maybe he had it coming...  
  
Nines always seemed to roll with it, so Gavin didn't bother holding his tongue. He didn't actually mean every damn word he said—  
  
Okay, he meant most of it.  
  
But seeing the look on Nines' face when he'd finally had enough was burned into his mind; Gavin didn't think he'd ever forget that. He just looked so broken, dispair marring his otherwise permanent deadpan expression. Gavin...really didn't want to see that again. And the waterworks was the icing on the cake. Who knew the RK models had tear ducts? It was news to him.  
  
Seeing androids expressing emotions was still uncharted territory.  
  
But according to Connor, and the glares everyone in the room directed at him, it _shouldn't_ be as hard as he was making it out to be.  
  
Lovely.  
  
He couldn't find Nines or Connor anywhere in the building. He'd asked around, checked unused offices, the bathrooms, outside. Gavin didn't know where else to look. But when he returned to his desk, Nines and Connor were back. There were no signs of Nines' earlier distress to be found. No puffy eyes, no rumpled clothing, no sad puppy expressions. He appeared to be just as detached and put together as he always was.  
  
How in the hell could Nines go from carefully controlled, to an absolute wreck, and then back to this as if nothing happened?  
  
With a slow inhale, Gavin nervously approached Nines' desk; he could feel Connor and Hank watching him, waiting for him to fuck up again.  
  
"Um, Nines, can we uh, g-go talk somewhere?"  
  
Nines turned his gaze up to Gavin, taking in how nervous the man was. And while Nines appeared to remain distant, Gavin noticed a slight bit of tension in how Nines held himself, as if he were ready to take flight at the first sign of trouble.  
  
"No."  
  
"N-no?"  
  
"No. I will not go off with you to chat, detective." Dismissive of Gavin's presence, he turned back to his computer to resume his work.  
  
Gavin looked to Connor, silently begging for some way to either get out of this or something that would convince Nines to talk to him. Connor gave him the same treatment and went back to work, ignoring him.  
  
How the fuck was he supposed to apologize if Nines wouldn't give him the time of day?  
  
Heaven help him, Connor was going to kill him before dinner tomorrow.  
  
Admitting defeat, for now, Gavin sat down at his desk and stared at his computer screen. He couldn't focus on a damn thing and didn't do anything with the current paperwork that needed tending to for two hours. His mind was on how to fix this. Would an I'm sorry card work? No. Those were usually for the loss of loved ones.  
  
_Which, I'm probably going to die, but I doubt the guy would mourn my death. Honestly, he'd probably like it because it prophecised my demise._  
  
Okay, not a card. Flowers, then? No, that's what married men do when they know they've fucked up and while Gavin fucked up, they weren't married. Nines would probably trash them before reading the card.  
  
Maybe smoke trail writing in the sky with a plane? That was a stupid idea. Why the hell did that come to mind?  
  
Bring him cookies? Gavin could probably find his mom's sugar cookie recipe somewhere and make those for him. Apology cookies. That was just sad.  
  
He sat back in his chair and rubbed a hand over his face; Gavin thought back on everything Nines shouted at him earlier. What had Nines done for him that Gavin didn't...oh. That could work.  
  
\--  
  
Gavin made sure to be at work ten minutes earlier than Nines and Connor usually came in. He'd stopped and bought coffee for Nines and set it on his desk for him. There. He brought the man coffee. Wait, will he see it there or will it remain unnoticed? Gavin moved it over to the other side of the desk. No, now it's on the same side as the trash can which allows Nines to knock it over purposefully and into the trash. Then maybe the middle? Or is it an accident waiting to happen? It could spill on Nines' lap. Could androids feel pain caused by a burn? Could androids get burns from hot coffee? Fuck. What if this hurt the guy instead?  
  
"Shit." He moved it again but knocked it over when he heard Connor calling out to him, wondering what the hell he was doing. "Fuck. Shit. Fucking...hell."  
  
Gavin tried to catch it before it fell but missed, and it went all over Nines' desk, computer screen, and Gavin's shirt. He barely acknowledged the pain as he stared at the two androids. He could hear Hank snickering from his desk, but Gavin was more preoccupied with the unimpressed Connor and the unamused Nines at his side.  
  
"Detective, why are you spilling your coffee on my workstation? That's...not ideal."  
  
"I'm sorry, I was trying to...fuck, this is—ugh." Gavin quickly pulled the shirt away from his skin and waved it a little to fan his stomach once the pain registered.  
  
Still unamused, Nines closed the distance between them and pulled the edge of Gavin's shirt from his hand and yanked it up to see the burns. "Ice it. It's non-fatal and requires no further medical assistance. Please leave my things alone in the future, detective."  
  
So much for bringing him coffee.  
  
\--  
  
Fowler had refused to reassign them new partners, so when it was time to leave, Gavin rushed ahead of Nines to make sure he could get the door for him. He heard Nines grumbling behind him about being left behind or some shit, which only had Gavin moving faster. Once he got to the door, he yanked it open and stepped outside, turning to hold it open for Nines.  
  
The android hesitated to go through the door and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Why was Gavin holding a door open for him?  
  
After a moment, Nines moved forward, and Gavin released the door behind him. The problem was that he released it too soon and the door caught the back of Nines' shoe, yanking it off and tripping the man.  
  
Gavin caught Nines before he hit the ground, but he still heard Nines growling in annoyance. "Sorry. I didn't expect it to close so quickly."  
  
Nines pulled away and put his shoe back on, fixed his suit coat and gave Gavin an annoyed look before brushing passed him. "It's fine," he growled.  
  
"Fuck me."  
  
\--  
  
At the scene, Gavin stepped back to let Nines do his thing. Ugh, he hated the licking and why the fuck?  
  
He wrinkled his nose at it. "That's just—" He caught himself and corrected the ending before he stuck his foot in his mouth. " _Odd_. It's odd. How does that even work? And do you and Connor kiss people later after having this stuff in your mouths or...?"  
  
Nines looked at him like he'd grown a second head, fingers poised at his parted lips to run a test. Just by the smell, Nines had a feeling it was only a tinted cleaning solution and NOT what the first responders assumed was, well, something inappropriate for current conversation. "I...Connor and I aren't...neither of us have...this isn't an appropriate conversation for a crime scene, detective."  
  
Ugh. Androids.  
  
"Then tell me how it works." He leaned against the wall and folded his arms, waiting for an explanation; looking it up wouldn't reveal anything since CyberLife was so secretive about how the RK models functioned. "Just, I don't know. Educate me."  
  
Nines narrowed his eyes. "Why?"  
  
"Because it's something I can't google because of the type of android you and Connor are, and I'm curious." Gavin sighed and glanced at the substance on the ground. "Besides, knowing might make it less...unappealing."  
  
"What Connor and I can do at a crime scene when analyzing data is not meant to be _appealing_ , detective."  
  
"Fuck's sakes, Nines. Just please tell me how the hell it works, and then I'll leave it be." He was trying to show an interest in what Nines did. Gavin didn't have a clue as to what "whims" the android had, so this would have to do, Gavin decided.  
  
"Sensors are located where taste buds would be on humans, and they break down the chemical composition of the substance that Connor and I introduce to it, like saliva does with glucose, and then we can determine what it is based on a database that we were programmed with to identify it."  
  
"You lost me at glucose, kid."  
  
Nines' lip twitched on one end, but he held on to his annoyed look. "We lick it like it has a barcode and the barcode tells us what it is. Better?"  
  
Gavin failed to suppress a grin. "Actually, yeah."  
  
"Can I _please_ do my job now?"  
  
"Oh, uh, be my guest."  
  
Nines still didn't appear to trust him but, with a slight shake of his head, he went back to picking through the mess of the alleyway to determine what happened. But, with a small smirk of his own, Nines held out his hand; there was something else smeared on it. "Detective, would you like to give it a try?"  
  
"Go to hell." But for once, there wasn't any venom behind it. Nines seemed just as surprised as Gavin, and to relieve some of the awkward tension, chose to retaliate by reaching out to wipe it on Gavin's knee.  
  
"Man, really?"  
  
"They're jeans from the thrift store. Mine are tailored and cost more than the entirety of your wardrobe. I'm not wiping it off on _my_ leg."  
  
Gavin didn't know how to respond to that, and so he kept his mouth shut. Rude. And how the fuck did he afford tailored clothing on their paychecks?  
  
\--  
  
He didn't know how he managed it, but for some damn reason, the angels took pity on him and granted him patience and a semi-convincing smile as he talked to the victim. Thankfully, this wasn't a homicide case, but there was still an android who had been attacked and needed some kind of...comfort.  
  
Gavin didn't know what else to do besides offer the lady a hug. Which somehow worked. The woman hugged him back while Gavin lightly rubbed her back and murmured that they'd find the idiot and get her things back.  
  
It wasn't perfect, but he should get credit for trying, dammit.  
  
Gavin looked up when he felt someone staring at him, only to find that it was Nines. Brows raised, eyes a little wider than usual, and lips parted. The guy seemed surprised that Gavin had a heart.  
  
Okay, that's a bit much, but...alright, he deserved the insult from the shock.  
  
Gavin squeezed the woman one last time and let go. "We'll keep looking and keep you posted on what we find."  
  
\--  
  
Gavin gave the door thing another shot. This time, it wasn't Nines' foot that was caught, but Gavin's. Or, well, he hit his toe trying to open it and nearly squawked in pain. That's twice today he's hurt himself trying to be nice. How worth it was this?  
  
Nines snorted behind him. Great. The android was laughing at his pain. This wasn't working, and Gavin only had about another hour before Nines and Connor left for the day.  
  
What the fuck else was he supposed to do?  
  
"Detective, it would behoove us to take shelter in the precinct before the rain starts."  
  
Now or never.  
  
Gavin shut the door rather than head inside or move out of Nines' way. "Nines, I'm sorry about yesterday...and, well, not just yesterday but all of the shit I've put you through."  
  
"Do you plan to continue today's improvement or will you fall back on old habits, detective?"  
  
"Contin—wait, you actually noticed?"  
  
Nines smirked. "I was designed to notice every detail, detective. Your efforts were, hm, the right word is _adorable_."  
  
"I'm not adorable, and neither is anything that I do," he huffed.  
  
"I never said _you_ were, detective."  
  
"Please stop calling me that. It makes me feel as old as Hank."  
  
"You're thirty-six times my age, _detective_."  
  
Gavin threw up his hands and grabbed the door, "Great. Tell the whole world my age, why don't you?"  
  
He opened it and stepped inside, purposefully closing it behind him and grinning at the android through the glass. When Nines' amusement disappeared, Gavin sighed and opened the door for him. "Shutting the door jokes, not a good idea. I'll remember that."  
  
"You do that, _detective_."  
  
"I told you to stop calling me that."  
  
"Yes, _sir_."  
  
"That's just as fucking bad!"  
  
"You're an elder, and it's only proper for me to show respect." The android was now wearing a shit-eating grin. " _Sir_."  
  
"You know what? I'm going to lie to Connor and say I didn't apologize so he'll put me out of my misery."

"And for the record, we brush our teeth."

**Author's Note:**

> Got a prompt for this series? Let me hear it in the comments or talk to me on Tumblr at ixhadbadxdays.


End file.
